Pliny The Younger Release 2019

Pliny the Younger will make his 15th Annual return to Russian River Brewing Company February 1st through February 14th, 2019! For the first time Younger will be available at our new Windsor brewery as well as the original Downtown Santa Rosa location! It will be available on draft each day at our brewpubs until we run out of that day’s allocation. Younger is neither bottled nor available in growlers so more people will have the opportunity to enjoy it right from the source, or at a handful of select draft accounts. Following is some helpful information to make this year’s Younger Release fun and safe for everyone!

The Beer:

Pliny the Younger is considered a “triple” IPA, simply meaning that it is higher in alcohol and has tons of hops. The alcohol should finish at about 10.25%, although it is remarkably dry for the amount of malt used in the recipe. It is loaded with hop flavors, bitterness, and aromatics. The hops used in this year’s recipe are of excellent quality from the 2018 harvest: Warrior, Amarillo, Simcoe, Centennial, CTZ, Chinook, Crystal, and Citra. We brewed Younger for the first time in 2005 as a winter seasonal, building upon the Pliny the Elder recipe while pushing the envelope with malt, hops, and alcohol just to see how far we could go! It is always brewed only once a year and released the first Friday in February, rain or shine.

The Man:

Pliny the Younger was the nephew and adopted son of Pliny the Elder. He was a lawyer and an author in Ancient Rome and witnessed the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, which took the life of his uncle. Pliny the Younger lived from 61 AD to 112 AD. He wrote many letters which survive today and have great historical value. We thought it appropriate to also pay tribute to Pliny the Elder’s nephew by naming this special beer after him!

What to expect if you come to one, or both, of our brewpubs:

We have made some positive changes over the years to help keep the line moving and limit over-consumption of high ABV beers. There is a 3 hour/3 Younger maximum at both breweries. Please plan to wait in line anywhere from 1 hour to 5 or 6 hours on the weekends once we get the doors open. If it rains, as it generally does in February, we will be unable to use our outdoor patio in Santa Rosa. Our Santa Rosa pub’s capacity is 135 people plus a few more on the patio during nice weather. The new brewpub in Windsor can hold up to 200 people, thus allowing us to seat more people at one time which helps to keep the line moving. If the weather is nice, you can also enjoy a beer in our large outdoor beer garden. The tasting room will be open for growler fills and 5 oz. tastes of other beers, but not Younger. A taste of Younger will, however, be a special added bonus on the guided tours. The best time to visit to ensure the shortest wait times is midweek.

Younger is served in a 10oz. glass with a maximum of 3 per person PER DAY. We are morally and legally obligated to promote the responsible consumption of alcohol and may NOT serve anyone who is obviously intoxicated. This beer is only available for on-premise consumption. In addition to Pliny the Younger, we will have about 20 other excellent beers on tap for your enjoyment, many of which are available in growlers or bottles to go. We would love to have you visit both breweries but please do so over 2 days!

The Line:

In an effort to remain neighborly and responsible business owners, we kindly ask you to respect one another and our neighbors by complying with the following courtesies (and rules):

Open container laws are alive and well in Santa Rosa, and our ABC license in Windsor does not extend outside the building (other than the beer garden). There is no drinking in line at either location.

The City of Santa Rosa has a No Smoking Ordinance, stating there is no smoking ANYTHING within 20 feet of business entrances or where people gather. There are dedicated smokers poles positioned away from the line in Windsor.

Our neighboring businesses in Santa Rosa sometimes become upset with the line blocking their entrances. Please do not camp out in business doorways and be courteous when customers are trying to get by. Please remember our Downtown neighbors are putting up with our lines for 2 solid weeks! If you are asked to move because you are blocking an entrance, please politely move.

Line cutting and place holding is not allowed. Show up with your whole party, then take turns getting coffee, food, haircuts, shopping, or whatever. We have many great businesses in Downtown Santa Rosa that would love your support and can help make the time waiting a little more enjoyable. In Windsor you can take a self-guided tour, make a reservation for a guided tour, and peruse the Gift Shop. Something fun to do to break up the time! But don’t leave the line until you have received a hand stamp from our staff and made friends with the people around you.

Please leave your easy-ups, tents, and other structures at home. We have had many problems with these blowing around, crashing into windows, blocking business entrances, and simply left behind. Chairs, umbrellas, rain gear, warm clothes, hot coffee, and a really good book (or 2) are strongly encouraged!

Bottle sharing is not allowed inside the breweries. Our brewpubs will have about 20 excellent beers on tap, many of which you can get nowhere else!

Getting Here:

By Air: Sonoma County Airport (STS) Located in the heart of Northern California’s world renowned Wine Country, STS is the only airport that offers scheduled air service into the North Bay region. Daily nonstop flights include: Alaska Airlines to Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle; American Airlines to Phoenix Sky Harbor; and United Airlines to San Francisco. Twice a week nonstop flights are offered by Sun Country Airlines™ to Minneapolis. All Airlines offer a wide-range of connecting flights to destinations in the continental U.S., Mexico, and beyond. Book flights now.

By Train: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is the San Francisco Bay Area’s newest transportation option for travel, offering passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin counties. SMART’s initial 43 miles of rail corridor includes 10 stations, from the Sonoma County Airport to Downtown San Rafael. Both breweries are located very close to a SMART train stop. For more schedules and routes, check out the SMART website.

FREE Windsor Hopper Shuttle:The Town of Windsor is providing a FREE shuttle from the Airport Blvd. SMART train stop to our Windsor location as well as other breweries, wineries, bars, restaurants and local hotels every day during the release and hopefully beyond! Click HERE for the schedule and to download the QR Code!

Parking:

The City of Santa Rosa has paid parking. Hours of operation for paid parking are now 10AM to 8PM. The price is $1.50/hour in the lot behind our pub, with an ENFORCED maximum of 3 hours. The parking garages are less expensive and have no time limits. Street parking, as well as the lots, are still FREE on Sundays. Your best bet is to park in the garage, or better yet, have someone else drive you.

There are plenty of taxis, Uber and Lyft drivers around town. If you want to learn more about Santa Rosa’s parking, visit their website at https://www.srcity.org/2591/Downtown-Parking. We don’t want your visit to our brewpub to be spoiled by an annoying parking ticket!

Our new Windsor brewery has 2 acres of FREE parking! But please take public transportation if you are planning to drink OR ride the FREE Windsor Hopper Shuttle!

Distribution:

We start distributing Younger on draft the week after we release it at our pubs. You will see it pop up in the Bay Area, Sacramento, So Cal, Oregon, Colorado, and Philadelphia generally by the end of February. We also just started distributing in the CA Central Coast region and are planning to send a few kegs of Younger their way for the first time. It is our recommendation that our accounts tap it as soon as possible after receiving their delivery to preserve the freshness and integrity of the beer. This beer is not meant to age. Pliny the Younger is very much like the fresh catch of the day and best enjoyed right away. If you are served old Pliny the Younger from one of our valued accounts, please notify us so that we can educate them, too!

Where to Stay- check out these hotels for special Younger discounts:

Astro Motel is an ambitious and stylish remodel of a 1963 motor lodge with a lush interior garden and smart amenities for cyclists. Affordable, urban and furnished with original midcentury modern pieces, The Astro is a fresh addition to Sonoma County, located a short stumble from downtown Santa Rosa. Owned, designed and managed by Sonoma County locals, The Astro offers an intimate introduction to the area’s natural splendor, and to its best and brightest makers and doers.

Hampton Inn & Suites- Windsor (FREE shuttle to and from RRBC Windsor)8937 Brooks Road SouthWindsor, CA 95492707-837-9355“Russian River Brewing Company” rate
“We provide all of our guests a warm and inviting “home away from home” and would welcome the opportunity to do the same for you here at the Hampton Inn & Suites Windsor-Sonoma Wine Country! Included in our rates, we offer free hot breakfast daily from 6-10am, allowing our guests to start their day off right without an additional charge, free high-speed and wireless internet access in the lobby and all guest rooms and last but not least, our guests have the option to earn both HHonors points and airline miles. Conveniently located only 1.8 miles (approximately 6 minutes) away from Russian River Brewing Company, we are the #1 hotel choice when planning your getaway for the Pliny the Younger Release!”